Lucy is worried about her job, newspapers are shutting down are over and Ted her boss keeps meeting with men in business suits. Fortunately, at least for now she has her job but a new reporter Rob has come in and wants all the choice stories. As true of all of Lucy’s tales there’s family involved. Her father-in-law has died in Florida and her mother-in-law is taken with a women who claims she’s a daughter of Bill Sr.’s.

It appears that something may be wrong in the Sheriff’s Department and the reporters start investigating. This is one of my favorite books in this series.

Irish Parade Murder by Leslie Meier is book 27 in the Lucy Stone Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone.
Lucy and her family have recently returned from Florida having attended her father-in-law's funeral and things are about to change not only in her family, but also in her place of employment.
The Pennysaver has bought out the Gabber and hired a new reporter, Rob. He is out to make a name for himself in Tinker's Cove. Lucy is given the small stories to report on.or so it seems. But Rob starts stepping on toes and Lucy also has stepped on some. Then when Rob gets arrested, Lucy knows he is not guilty and sets out to get answers even if it puts her in the cross hairs. Then throw in a possible fraud taking place in her family.
This well written Cozy has plenty of plot twists. The story also touches on corruption, bad cops, set ups, and possible fake DNA results. The characters are relatable.. I had a hard time putting it down. You will be ready to celebrate St Paddy's day.
I was given an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review..

Just for starters, I love this Leslie Meier series set in Tinker's Cove, ME. I started reading this series years ago and have felt like the Stone's are like close friends. We have watched the girl's and Toby grow up over the years, and even a Grandson Patrick.

I await anxiously each year for the latest installment of Lucy Stone - amateur self-taught sleuth, has always been intrigued by a mystery, and setting the record straight.

This year she is a little uneasy as her father-in-law has just passed away in Florida, and her husband Bill is the only child, when they find out that Bill Sr. might have had a illegitimate daughter, and Bill Jr. and new half sister.

Along with the job she loves at the Penny Saver newspaper, writing up her assignments. Her boss Ted is expanding the paper and has hired an new pat-me-on-the-back hot shot writer, and Lucy feels threated by him and her position at the Penny Saver.

When she covers the story on the St. Pat's Parade in Gilead, and a murder points the perp as the new city reported Rob Callahan

Lucy, does the right thing to try to get to the bottom of the story, along with some political corruption thrown in.

I loved this story and it kept me entertained from cover to cover.

Order your copy today, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you Net Galley., also on Goodreads!

This is the first book I've read in a very longstanding series - I just counted them and there are at least 34 dating back to 1994. I didn't feel like I was lost-the necessary backstory is there but I didn't have a backstory of Lucy's life and where she got to where she was.

To be honest, it took me some time to get into the book and I didn't care much for Lucy at the beginning But she was going through a lot--the death of her father in law, the fear that the local newspaper she worked for was going to close, and the addition of a young know it all to the newspaper. And we followed along with her angst and anger-she reacted the way a normal person was.

Lucy is given an assignment that the new hot shot Rob felt was beneath him but as she digs she uncovers a potential abuse of political power, pervasive bigotry and sexual harassment. Then Rob is framed for a murder with very circumstantial evidence. and Lucy tries to dig further even though there is little or no cooperation.

There is also another mystery with a woman that is going on the same time. Don't want to spoil that one.

I did enjoy the mystery once it got going. You can tell who the bad guy is but the way he is apprehended is thrilling.

The author is trying to make some social statements-might be a trigger for you depending on your beliefs.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. However, the opinion expressed is my own.

Lucy, Pennysavers ace reporter in small town Maine has just returned from her father-in-law funeral in Florida. Only to find out her boss who has been acting a little strange lately, has expanded the newspaper and hired a young goer reporter. Fearing for her job and clashing with Rob who has some unbelievable ideas about small town crooked cops. She starts wondering if it’s so far fetch an idea. When looking through new eyes she can see how everyone seems to be in the Sheriff pocket. Then Rob is arrested for a murder she doubts he is guilty of. The mysteries continue and there are some twists and turns. The ending was predictable, but still an enjoyable read.

I have a bit of a confession to make: I hadn’t actually read any Leslie Meier novels before this 27th in her long-running Lucy Stone mystery series. I had read several of her novellas, and based on the doormat-adjacent behavior Lucy displayed with regard to her family in those, I certainly was not prepared for what I read here. The Lucy Stone of Irish Parade Murder is fun, feisty and not only feminist, but with a streak of crusading journalist zeal that made this book a wholly absorbing read as it boldly -- and in my opinion extremely successfully -- tackles so many sociopolitical topics in the news today.

Lucy and her co-worker Phyllis are worried that they’re about to lose their jobs at The Pennysaver, the weekly newspaper of their small Maine town of Tinker’s Cove. Newspapers all across the country have been shutting down, and with their owner-editor Ted Stillings acting cagey, they’re convinced that he’s about to sell out and move on, too. Imagine their surprise when they discover that Ted isn’t only not selling the paper, but has bought out the larger Gilead Gabber, based in the neighboring town and county seat, with the assistance of a non-profit that believes that the existence of a strong, independent fourth estate is vital for the functioning of democracy. The only catch is that Ted has to bring in hotshot city reporter Rob Callahan to help modernize their operations.

Lucy is pretty lukewarm about Rob’s arrival, and his lack of skills, which nearly sabotage her own work, make her even less inclined to help him out. Her daughters are surprisingly supportive, as they discuss with her husband Bill over family dinner one evening:

QUOTE
"It's not a level playing field, Dad," declared Zoe, "and women lose every time they help some dumb guy climb right over then to get the promotion, or the raise, or the award."

"Women have got to do what men do, which is play the game to win."

"But there's no 'I' in team," offered Bill, rather feebly.

"Building a career is not a team sport," said Sara. "It's an individual accomplishment, and Mom has worked hard to make her byline mean something."

"Yeah, Dad," said Zoe. "It's about time Mom got the credit she deserves. She's worked hard all these years, and she's an amazing journalist, and she doesn't need anybody telling her how to do her job."

Sitting there, listening to her daughters defend her, Lucy was stunned. "Golly, guys, I didn't know you'd noticed."
END QUOTE

While Rob goes off chasing “hard-hitting” investigative stories -- against the advice of the Pennysaver team who urge him to build relationships first and to proceed with delicacy, if not caution -- Lucy focuses on the meat and potatoes news so important to their readers. With coverage now expanded to include Gilead, she begins to notice how Sheriff John P Murphy’s influence radiates from the county seat, and not for the better. Even what should be innocuous reporting work, centering mostly on Gilead’s upcoming Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, sees her uncovering details and practices that are questionable at best. When a prison guard dies in a fiery car crash and Rob is abruptly hauled in for the guard’s murder, Lucy has to use all her investigative skills to get to the bottom of things, even as it seems that the odds are stacked against her and the brave crew of the Pennysaver. Unsurprisingly, arraying themselves on the side of democracy in the face of corruption takes its toll:

QUOTE
"I guess I didn't realize what I was getting into," said Ted. "It all seemed so noble, tackling abuse and corruption, restoring the democratic values our nation was built on…" He let out a long sigh. "I had no idea it would be so depressing and exhausting, or that the corruption would be so widespread… It seems like the sheriff has the whole county government in his grip."

"Buck up, bucko," said Lucy, causing Ted to smile. "We can't do it all at once; we have to chip away, one story at a time. It doesn't always have to be a big spotlight investigation; it can simply be an accurate account of the truth, like the paragraph in the school budget story about [the county health department director]'s refusal to apply for state funding. We can leave it at that for now, and see if readers respond."

"Good idea, Lucy," said Ted, obviously relieved. "Let's focus on getting Rob a fair deal."
END QUOTE

As if this wasn’t enough to occupy Lucy, she and her family also have to deal with the aftermath of Bill’s dad’s passing, including the appearance of a woman claiming to be Bill’s half-sister. There’s so much rich, excellent storytelling and commentary here that totally belied my previous (entertaining, if slight) experiences with this series. Lucy isn’t perfect, but she’s smart and she’s brave and a great heroine to root for. I’m very much looking forward to digging into the previous books of the series now, as well as eagerly anticipating what comes next!

Cozy mysteries are my not so secret indulgence & I've been reading Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series since the beginning. I've been lucky enough to read the last few books as advanced copies for review. I always enjoy watching this family grow and grow up. This book had several storylines that were fun to follow and kept me yearning to get back to the book to see what was happening 😁 watching a series evolve is like watching a child grow up 😊

Loved this quick and easy read. This author will always be one that I return to for a good cozy mystery!

This book was enjoyable to read and fun to follow the protagonist through this story and picking up the clues here and there kept me turning the pages to solve this mystery. Lucy is a likable character and in the beginning when it felt like she could lose her job at the paper, there was a little bit of worry.
Another great installment from this author!

Lucy Stone doesn’t know what to think about her job. First she thinks she’s about to lose her job as part-time reporter for the local newspaper in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. Then, she learns her boss is actually expanding the paper, which would be a good thing except he has also hired a young, know-it-all reporter who is being given all the top assignments. Even though Lucy doesn’t care much for Rob’s journalistic talent or his people skills, when the brash reporter is accused of murder, Lucy has doubts. She uses her own investigative skills to get to the truth of the murder case.

Many of the books in the Lucy Stone series are tied to a specific holiday and the focus of this book is St. Patrick’s Day. Many of the stories the newspaper is covering and the drama in the book revolve around the town’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and traditions which aren’t always inclusive to all the local residents. Lucy’s interviews with parade participants work well to show the contrast in opinions of the town. When Rob is accused of murder, I like that Lucy is able to put her personal feelings about him aside to objectively investigate the crime. Rob is so obnoxious, I found it hard to feel sorry for him even when it looked more and more like he was innocent of the murder, but lucky for him, Lucy was a bigger person and kept searching for the truth!

In addition to the obstacles Lucy is facing at work, she also has a personal issue to deal with. When her husband Bill’s father dies, a woman comes forward claiming to be Bill’s half sister. Lucy and Bill are afraid the woman is a fraudster trying to make a claim on Bill Senior’s estate. This mystery as well as the murder investigation are both interesting. I was surprised the author tackles such a heavy topic as police corruption in a cozy mystery, but it does fit in well with the plot. The story is dramatic and entertaining even if the way things work a little too easily at the end. Overall, this is a solid installment in this well-written series.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

When Ted hires Rob, a young, ambitious reporter, at the Pennysaver, Lucy is sure the move means the end of her part-time position at the weekly newspaper. But when Rob is charged with murder, Lucy sets out to prove that, despite evidence to the contrary, the authorities have the wrong suspect in custody.

This is the latest book in a long-running series that I have enjoyed for many years. I enjoy visiting Tinker's Cove, and the town's residents feel like old friends. Lucy seems to become more of a worrier, and maybe even more cynical, in every book, which is disappointing, given that she is most likely younger than I am (based on the ages of her children). At least this book wasn't as preachy as several of the last few books have been. The mystery in this book was good, and I enjoyed the side stories as well. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I was given a chance to read this advanced copy, thanks Kensington Publishers and NetGalley.

Times are tough nowadays for a small independent newspaper and Ted decides the only way to stay in business is to buy and combine with a paper from a neighboring town. This comes with a brand new reporter, and Lucy is quite worried that he will get all the best assignments. With the upcoming St. Patrick's Day parade, there is plenty for everyone, especially when they start an investigation of the local sheriff who seems to have everyone under his control. When he arrests the new reporter for a murder and keeps hassling Lucy, things get ugly. Also on her plate is a woman claiming that she has DNA proof that she is Bill's half sister. Now that his Dad has died, is she trying to weasel in on the estate? This brings up the point, just how easy is it to forge these documents and prey on grieving family members?

I enjoyed this book, but have noticed that the last two books I have read have been really heavy into social injustice. The last book was all about drugs, this one is about corrupt officials .

I had not been impressed with the last several Leslie Meier books, but this one feels like her old writing. I couldn't out this down and wanted to find out what happened, rather then skipping pages and skimming along just go get it done. Glad to see Leslie Meier has her groove back!
There were a few places where certain details about characters were repeated in the story and should be edited out. It was like they weren't sure if something was clear to the reader and forgot that they had already written that detail in.

Lucy might not like Rob (you might not like him either) but she's pretty sure the new reporter at the Pennysaver didn't murder Gavin McCourt. If you're ever in trouble, Lucy's the one you want investigating because even with all that's going on in her personal life, she's driven to get the truth. This latest installment in the long running series (ok as a standalone but better if you know the characters) sees changes in Tinkers Cove as well as in Lucy's family. Her father in law has died, her mother in law has moved to Maine, and suddenly there's someone claiming to be her husband Bill's half sisrer! All of this drama adds to the story, which is more complex than some of the recent novels. As always, Lucy is terrific, there are laughs, and there's a mystery that's twisty enough to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fun read.

Set in Tinker’s Cove in late winter, this was a pretty good entry in the Lucy Stone series. I enjoyed Lucy and the newspaper being more prevalent in this book with current matters being addressed in the context of the story. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book in this series so I was surprised to see Zoe is in college! I love this series for the progression of the kids and their lives. It’s one of the few series where it seems time moves at a normal pace. This book centers around St. Patrick’s Day, a new hire at the paper and the corrupt sheriff in Gilead. I feel the mystery was well plotted with Lucy not taking any chances with her life. I could have done without the side plot of the new family member though, there was enough story to go on without this side plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a long standing cozy mystery series, and it continues to be a good one.
I enjoy the characters and the whodunit was well written.
However, I could have done without the story of Lucy’s mother in law and Kate. I found it distracting and too neatly tied up.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This is by far my favorite Lucy Stone mystery yet (and, yes, I’ve read them all). It’s ripe with current issues: racism, political corruption, police misconduct, sexism... it covers so much while flowing smoothly without overwhelming.
I’ve been disappointed in Meier’s recent releases, honestly, as she’s tried to stay hip with the times while sometimes falling short or under-developing topics, but Irish Parade Murder was spot-on.
As per usual: cozy mysteries are unrealistic, tying everything up in a neat bow. In this case, these systemic issues definitely aren’t going to right themselves after one small town sleuth does a little digging, but I always love Lucy for her efforts.
This book is definitely liberal on topics like birth control & sex education and - if you’re a true conservative catholic Irishman (or woman) - you probably won’t like the way the topics lean. But I think Meier’s interests are legitimate and necessary and I’m glad to see a cozy mystery addressing big issues.

I have read many of Leslie Meier's books set in a small town in Maine. I enjoyed this book but without the backstory on Lucy's family dynamics I might have been a bit lost. There are two story lines one about a "long lost relative" trying to be part of the family based on a DNA test; the other is the paper Lucy works for has expanded. There is a death in the town and Lucy helps to solve it. Overall it was a fun cozy mystery and a quick read.
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Leslie Meier is one of my favorite authors. Her books are fun and enjoy.Each story is unique that she writes about holidays or family vacations. This story begins as Lucy’s family attends the funeral of her husband Bill’s father in Florida. Back at home Lucy is a part time writer at the Pennysaver, the weekly newspaper in the quaint coastal town of Tinkers Cove, Maine. Ted the owner of the paper announces he is now the round owner of the Gilman Gabber. and hired a new reporter Rob Callahan who came to us straight from the Cleveland Dealer. All of a sudden Bill gets a letter from the funeral home but it’s not a bill. It says a woman named Catherine Klein is Bill's half sister. This is a complete surprise to everyone. Rosie Capshaw is a puppeteer who wants to put her St. Patrick and mother Jones in the St. Patrick’s day parade. But Lucy was doubtful the notoriously conservative Hibernian Knights, who organize the parade, would welcome Rosies over sized puppets. Anyone who wants to March in the parade has to apply for permission. Lucy receives a voicemail from Rosie that her application was denied. Sheriff Murphy has turned it down flat. The Hibernian Knights pick James Ryan to be the fabulous grand Marshall. The sheriff is into everything that goes on. He’s scary you don’t u if he is truely concerned about you or he’s threatening you. It’s a little of both and it’s how he keeps everyone in line. The Cove is gonna have its first all inclusive Irish festival and Rosie and Brendan Coyle are the organizers. Time would tell but Lucy suspected the sheriff would do everything he could do to pose hurdles for the festival planners. Rob is charged with sending a correction officer from town to a fiery death. Troubles in her personal and professional life are colliding and Lucy comes to realize that she’ll sooner discover a four-leaf clover than confront a killer.

Thank you to Leslie Meier, NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review Irish parade Murder.
With some authors, 27 books in the material and characters can become stale and boring. Not Lucy Stone and her family and friends in Tinker's Cove. In this book, Lucy is confronted with a new reporter trying to assist in bringing the newspaper up to date and stepping on a few toes while doing it. Their are newcomers who want to become a part of the traditional St. Patrick's Day Parade but for some reason the parade committee finds a reason to turn them down. Lucy is assigned a story about the Parade Grand Marshall candidates and begins to hear stories of unfairness and a sense of good old boy nepotism. When the new reporter is accused of killing a crooked deputy, Lucy works to find out the truth and save not only the newspaper's reputation but also the reporter from an unfair time behind bars. Always engaging, with a good mystery and some humor thrown in, this book will be perfect for you next read this spring.

Thank you NetGalley, Leslie Meier and Kensington Books for the ARC of Irish Parade Murder. This is my personal review.
Irish Parade Murder is the 27th book in the Lucy Stone series.
I enjoyed this book as much as all the other books in this series.
Lucy Stone is a reporter at a small newspaper in Tinkers Cove. Being a reporter has Lucy busy in each book. The cast of characters in each of the books are wonderful together. And the addition of new ones makes the series one that will keep loyal fans reading and looking forward to the next book.
I so enjoyed the mix of events and happenings in this book. The mystery is just a small part of what happens in this book.